Two senior executives at the VA received $400,000 for moving expenses. The program has been shut down and those senior executives may be disciplined for the questionable expenses.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the shutdown of a moving relocation program after alleged abuse by two senior executives at the agency. Apparently, two senior executives at the VA were able to obtain $400,000 in moving expenses. The expenses have been called into question and the senior executives may be suspended.
The acting Undersecretary for Benefits recently told Congress that the VA was investigating the current relocation programs inside the agency. The VA official also told Congress that the agency needs to re-examine how it promotes and moves its top executives to new locations. The acting Undersecretary said: “so everything is done for the right reasons.”, according to The Washington Post.
The House Veterans Affairs Committee is looking into allegations at the VA that many executives at the agency are manipulating and abusing the system for private gain. The committee is especially investigating the perks, special jobs, and unreasonable moving expenses that these senior executives seem to be getting.
The two senior executives being investigated, Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves, both refused to testify before the Congressional committee citing the Fifth Amendment prohibition against self incrimination. Both worked as director’s of benefits at the regional VA offices in Philadelphia and in Saint Paul.
The acting Undersecretary assured the committee that both Rubens and Graves would be under disciplinary investigation as quickly as possible. The VA has, over the years, been able to speed up the process by which senior officials can be suspended or terminated from their positions and the agency.
Both Rubens and Graves were transferred to new positions that comprised a much lower workload, fewer responsibilities and far less people to actually manage. Despite this, they have been allowed to stay at their previous director salaries of $181,497 and $173,949 respectively.
In the course of two years, the benefits division of the VA has transferred 23 senior executives at a cost of $1.8 million.
